Targeting glycolysis in leukemia: a novel inhibitor 3-BrOP in combination with rapamycin

Rapidly proliferating solid tumor cells are often dependent on glycolysis for ATP production even in normoxia (the Warburg effect), however it is not yet clear whether acute leukemias have a similarly increased dependence on aerobic glycolysis. We report that all acute leukemia subtypes (pre-B ALL, T-ALL and AML) demonstrated growth arrest and cell death when treated the novel glycolysis inhibitor 3-BrOP. Potentiated ATP depletion and pro-apoptotic effects were seen for 3-BrOP combinations with the cytochrome-c-reductase inhibitor antimycin A and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. These results reveal a potential role for glycolysis inhibition in acute leukemia subtypes and suggest potential combinations.